Always Think
by unopenedHeartx
Summary: Elizabeth graduated and became distant from her friend Alexiana. When her life starts going wierd on her, she finds Alexiana at a bar and finds that she's been hunting since graduation and little Elizabeth know that she is about to sucked into that world.


As my time for lunch came to an end, I could feel something coming. I clean up my garbage, put on the tray and walk to the garbage can. I got rid of looming feeling by throwing it away with the my lunch garbage. As I approached the building that was my destination, I thought about the hopelessness of finishing that project. Quite honestly I don't think I will ever really finish, at least, not a this rate.

Being the prodigy worker, I was given the most work. Each project was a little bit more impossible than the last. This one had made quite a jump from the last. The last project I worked on was a simple home design for a rich couple. That project got me my third promotion since I applied for this job just over one year ago. The past two promotions have been in the last six months. Hence why all my co-workers call me the prodigy. This new project consisted of many parts, that were broken up and given to different workers. The difference, I got the equivalent of enough work for three people. The similarity, I got the same amount of time as them. Fair? No, not really. But who am I to complain about what I'm told to do? I'm the one who sign my name to work here, aren't I? Am I not the one who gets paid? So, I just keep my mouth shut.

As the grand building of glass came into view, my hope decreased again.

When the majestic building towered over me, I entered. I walk to the elevators. No one said anything to me, but I was okay with that. I am undeniably anti-social. Although I do prefer to call it socially inept. I heard people call a nice girl, kind and, of course, just too shy.

The elevator slowed and stopped. I stepped out and quickly manoeuvred around the people who waited to get on. I swiftly advanced towards my office, which was about the only perk of my job. My office, just the right size as to have enough space but not too much. I has a good view as well, no taller buildings right across the street and no ugly old buildings.

In the far right corner, against the wall and window, is my desk, it has my computer and printer and all that kind of stuff. In the far left corner is my drawing area. It consists of my drawing desk and a separate smaller desk that holds all of my supplies. The whole desk is at an angle from the window and the wall. On the walls of my office are paintings that I brought in from my loft apartment; I figured that my home gallery was getting a little too crowded.

I looked to my left, and looked closely at my reflection in the mirror of that wall. I am about 5' 7" maybe a little taller. My figure is slim and healthy, not at all like those skinny wannabee's who starve them selves into a bony figure. My hair is a tad longer than mid-back length, and if you could try and succeed with straightening the curls out, it would be much longer. I moved my gaze to my face. I don't know what people always referred to in my face that is almost inhuman. I analysed my face looking carefully at my high cheek bones and my slightly too full lips. My nose was a nice length but it seemed to accent too much of my face. These looks always caught the attention of anyone and usually everyone in a room when I entered. My grace, well, it didn't help me keep a low profile. These looks have been my nemesis since I left my small town home of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

I went over to my desk to recheck all of my calculations before I could start the drafting of my part of the new mall that I'm helping design.

Just as I get comfortable a shriek resounds through the walls and all around me.

In alarm I shoot up from my desk and cantered toward the door. I opened to see what the scream had been about. As my door opened papers that had been leaning against it slid into my office. I looked up and saw one of the female workers pointing at something on the ground with the worst look of fear upon her face.

I watched as her hand turned as if it were following something on the ground. Then it came around the corner of a desk. At first it looked a lot like a black blob, but as it got closer it started to look more and more like a giant spider. Oh, my god. It is a giant spider. This spider must be the size of a Scotch tape roll. Where on the hell did that ever come?!

My body started to tense getting ready to hastily shut the door, but I never had to because one of my other co-workers had equipped themselves with a garbage can and trapped it underneath of it. Then our friendly janitor Dominic came and sprayed it from the safety of outside the garbage can. The ghastly thing tried to escape a couple of times but with no success. And within seconds it was belly-up in the ground twitching.

My nerves only calmed after Dom had taken that damned spider away. After the area had calmed down I picked up the sheets of paper. After I had them all in my hands the woman who had shrieked came to claim them from me. I happily handed them over to her. The less paper I have the better my life is. When I saw her face I recognized her as the woman who had a desk opposite me just last month. I kindly smiled at her, but she seemed agitated by something. It must've been the spider. I know my nerves would be slightly more than frayed if a giant spider came from wherever it did.

Jeez... That had been the fourth out-of-the-ordinary thing that had happened in under just one week. Something is seriously up around here.

I went back to my computer and printed off the papers. I waited for them to come out of my printer but no papers came out. It didn't even start printing. I looked at the printer settings on my computer and saw that instead of mine they were sent to the main printers on the other side of this level of the building. I let out an exasperated sigh before getting up and leaving my office.

I calmly strode to the printers and retrieved my missing papers. On the way back I heard a few of the women talking about a new bartender in some bar called The Devil's Alley Bar and Grill. They said she was amazing and never made any mistakes and always got it right and utterly perfect. I thought to myself about how I never go to bars. I wouldn't even know what drink to get. As I walked I let a depressed sigh out.

Jeez, I really gotta stop with all this sighing. What is _with_ me lately?

I got back to my office and went to my drawing desk. I pinned the calculation pictures up on the bulletin board on the wall, a place where they could be easily seen from my chair. I got comfortable and went to work.

Back at home I was preparing my supper, honey garlic chicken wings with rice and veggies. I couldn't shake thoughts about that new bartender. I continually felt drawn towards that bar. And as there is nothing distracting in my apartment my thoughts just couldn't keep on other things.

In the end, I ended up at the entrance to the Devil's Alley. I looked up at the glowing neon sign the read off the name of this bar/grill. I took a breathe and walked in. When I entered the smell of a grill flooded me. There was also the faint scent of alcohol on the air. I spotted a couple of empty bar stools and took the one on the corner where there was less of a chance of getting hit on.

Then a voice that screamed familiar asked me, "What can I get you?"

I slow raised my head from the napkin I had been doodling on, to see someone from my past I thought I would never see again. The recognition was instant in her eyes. It took a few seconds for her to snap out of it. She looked over told me she would be one second. She helped one more person then talked to someone who seemed to be her superior. After that she removed her apron type thing and cam around the counter and took the stool beside me.

We looked. Long and hard at each as if confirming what we knew. After a few seconds, a long awaited hug.

"Liz! I haven't seen you since we graduated! How are you?" She sounded just as flabbergasted as I felt.

"Lexi. I'm great! How 'bout you? You look great!" I emphasized almost everything I said. I looked up and down. The only thing on her that has changed is her face. It seems to have matured in a strange way. As if she had seen many things.

"Thanks! But... Hey, so you do!" She looked up and down me, and smiled warmly when we both looked.

Then I thought of something that needing asking about. "Hey... Um... You're still into that weird stuff right?"

"Uh... Well... Yeah, I guess." My joy was getting higher every moment. "Do you need help with something?"

"Well... Yeah actually. There have been really weird things happening at work... Just this afternoon there was a spider the size of a full Scotch tape roll. Plus there have been people getting hurt from the office... The last person is still in the hospital. I think it's just too much to be a coincidence."

"Yeah... You're right. Why don't I tail you to work tomorrow to check it out?"

"Well... Okay. If it'll help stop this."

"Well. It was great talking to you! How about we meet up after my shift is finished and we can work out tomorrow." I nodded my response and she left, and soon came back with her apron this on again. "So. What can I get you?"

"Well, to be honest. I don't know what kinds of drinks I like. Pick me one." I grinned widely at her and she chuckled as she turned away to make me a drink.

She turned back after about a minute, and she handed me a reddish coloured drink in a cocktail glass that looked a bit like a slush. I smiled at her and took the first sip.

About half an hour later Lexi is just finishing up with her last customers. What seemed like only seconds later, she was approaching me from behind and beckoning me to follow her out to the cab she had called a few minutes ago.

Both piled in and Lexi told the driver where her apartment is so that she could pick up a duffel dag and a few clothes for her temporary stay with me, so that she could pose as my french cousin who is visiting but doesn't know a word of English. I wondered how exactly she was gonna pull this off, but I was the one who was asking a favour of her so I'll let her complete the task the way she's comfortable doing. Even if it means lying to my boss, which wasn't a hard task, I had done it before.

As we approached my home I pulled out my wallet and started to count the required payment for the cab.

Lexi walked into the lobby of my building as if she had only seen this kind of place on T.V. or something. She had zoned out for no under a second before she caught up to me. The elevator seemed to surprise her, she quickly caught herself again and she paid attention to the floor number. My apartment is on the top floor of the building, floor number six. The elevator door slid opened and we stepped out. The silence in the hallway was expected as the only other apartment on the floor is currently unoccupied. I made the sharp left towards my suite, if that's what you would want to call it.

I fished my key chain from the bottomless pond of my purse. I eased my key into the lock and felt it give way and open.

I felt my tensions ease as I entered the low ceilinged entrance to my condo. The comfort all came when I entered this place. Perhaps it was because here, I could be me, the truly unhappy me, the girl who had been dumped before her first (ever) date had even begun. On the other hand maybe it was because the entire place was of my own design. The high ceiling and window(with a great view), of the living room that was shared space with my art studio/ gallery. The large, modern kitchen, with it's comforting warmth.

I led Lexi to the guest room and got settled down for good sleep.


End file.
